Adoption is a legal proceeding that creates a parent-child relationship and entitles the adoptive child to all privileges belonging to a natural child of the adoptive parents (including the right to inherit). The procedure can be lengthy, as adoptive parents must be evaluated to determine their suitability as parents.

Filing for a 'petition of adoption' is one of the final steps in the process; approval of the petition transfers guardianship to the adoptive parents. The term disruption is used to describe an adoption which fails before legalization, resulting in the child returning to foster care and/or to another set of adoptive parent(s). Most adoptions do not disrupt before legalization and between 75% and 90% are successfully finalized. Attempted adoptions involving older children, children with histories of previous placements, or children with longer stays in the foster care system are more likely to disrupt.

The term dissolution is used to describe an adoption that fails after legalization, resulting in the child returning to foster care and/or another set of adoptive parent(s). Most legalized adoptions do not dissolve with between 90% and 99% remaining intact after legalization.

What this chart shows: United States International Adoptions,
FYE 2003 - FYE 2012

What the above data tell us:

Over the last decade, international adoptions peaked in FYE 2004 and have dropped steadily since then. The recent decline in international adoptions is most likely attributable to stricter adoption policies by China and Russia, the two biggest sources for United States adoptions for nearly a decade. As the number of adoptions from Russia and China decreased, Guatemala became a favorite for American adoptive parents. In May 2008, Guatemalan adoptions were suspended after the discovery that some babies were being kidnapped and sold. In FYE2012, only seven Guatemalan adoptions were finalized by Americans.

In May 2007, China placed several restrictions on who could adopt in China, and according to the U.S. State Department, there was a 39.5% drop in the number of immigrant visas issued to Chinese orphans between 2007 and 2008.

What this chart shows: Top 5 Countries for United States Adoptions, FYE 2012

What the above data tell us:

In nine of the last ten years, China provided the largest number of babies for American international adoptions. In May 2007, China placed several restrictions on adoptive parents, resulting in a steady decline in the number of children adopted from China. Over the last ten years, the highest number of Chinese babies adopted in the United States took place in 2005 (7,903) and has declined 66% since then.

All of the top five countries from which Americans adopted the most children in 2012 allowed fewer adoptions in FYE2012 than in FYE2011. Adoptions from Russia and South Korea are declining because both countries are making efforts to increase domestic adoptions whenever possible.

The states with the highest number of foreign-born adoptions are California, Texas, New York, Illinois and Florida.

Colorado State Foster Parent Association: the Colorado Foster Parent Association is committed to supporting foster care of children by providing education, advocacy, and resources for Colorado foster parents.

Federal Adoption and Safe Families Act (ASFA) of 1997 [pdf]: this act set permanency standards for children in state care. A main component of ASFA's goals is to reduce the amount of time children spend in an out-of-home, or a non-permanent, situation. The law states that children who are in continual care of a state for 19 months must have parental rights terminated and be placed for adoption.